In front of the Village Head's Mansion.
Urza had returned to the village.
She was uninjured. Thank goodness.
The Ice Monster, Ice, and the Angels who had accompanied her looked exhausted, but they were all safe as well.
That was a relief.
Standing behind Urza was a woman I didn’t recognize.
Judging by her appearance, she looked to be about fifteen years old. She had blonde hair tied in twin-tails and wore an outfit covered in pastel-colored frills.
It felt a bit rude to say, but she looked like a magical girl.
I assumed she was Yame-san, the Ancient Demon who had been on the uninhabited island. I had received a message before Urza arrived, so it was almost certainly her.
"Welcome. I’m Hiraku, the Village Head."
I greeted her, but immediately noticed something. "Um, first of all, could you please stop using Urza as a shield? Hakuren and Zabuton are starting to get a bit prickly."
"Is that a no? You can’t even stand without a shield?"
"In that case... I’ll give you this shield reinforced with dragon scales. How about using this instead? It’s much sturdier than Urza."
I handed the shield over to Yame-san.
"There, see? Not a scratch even if you hit it. It’s quite hard. Go ahead and try it out."
I stepped back a bit, intending to give her some space. As I did, one of the High Elves standing behind me leaned in and whispered.
"Village Head. Isn't that shield the target we use for testing those spears tipped with Kuro’s kin's horns?"
"It is. That’s why it’s so sturdy."
"Didn't the Angels get carried away and smash one recently?"
"As long as we don't mention that part, it should be fine."
"But if she holds that shield up, won't Kudel-san try to throw a spear at it?"
...She probably would. I should warn Yame-san.
When I gave her the warning, she scolded me, asking why I would give her such a dangerous item in the first place. A fair point.
Later, when I showed her Kudel's spear throwing practice, Yame-san’s legs gave out from under her. We were at a considerable distance, but I suppose that’s the natural reaction if you aren't used to it. It made me realize that I’ve probably become far too accustomed to such things. I need to be more careful.
"Now then, would you mind releasing Urza soon?"
I gestured toward the background. "Do you see Hakuren and Zabuton over there? They’re slowly creeping closer. Their faces are smiling, but they’re actually quite angry. They’ve been waiting a long time to welcome Urza back."
Thankfully, she understood.
"Urza, you can go to Hakuren and Zabuton now. Leave Yame-san to me."
Yame-san was currently bracing herself behind a massive iron shield large enough to hide her entire body. I’d felt the same way when I gave her the dragon-scale shield, but it really didn't match her outfit. The shield was far too rugged.
I wondered if we had any cuter shields...
...
None in this village. My apologies.
We had some with scary designs, but they were so unpopular with the children that they were currently gathering dust in the storehouse.
If only I had a transparent shield—something like the ones riot police use in my old world. That wouldn't get in the way of her fashion.
Wait, no. That wouldn't work either. It would still be in the way. A shield just didn't suit that outfit to begin with. A heavily decorated wand or staff would be much more appropriate.
I stood back and watched over Yame-san as these thoughts crossed my mind. I had tried speaking to her a few times, but she mostly just hid behind her shield and barely reacted. It seemed she had only been able to hold a conversation earlier because Urza was acting as a buffer.
Since we couldn't keep going like this, I sent for Bulga or Stifano, as they were acquaintances of hers. I figured she would be able to talk to someone she knew.
Or so I thought.
The moment Yame-san saw Bulga arrive, she let out a shriek, collapsed, and promptly fainted after being pinned under her own heavy shield.
"Um, Bulga... did you do something to her in the past?"
"No, no, I treated her quite normally. We weren't enemies, after all."
"Then why did she collapse?"
"Yame is just Yame."
?
Regardless, Bulga asked where she should take the unconscious girl, so I had her carried to a guest room in the Village Head's Mansion.
Once Yame-san was settled in the guest room’s bedroom, I sat in the adjacent parlor and listened to Bulga’s explanation.
"Yame is a very old demon. Her Authority is Immortality."
"Immortality? You mean she can’t die?"
"No, she dies."
"She dies, but she resurrects immediately."
"Resurrection? Ah, is it like that False Hero who was causing trouble in the Human Kingdom a while back?"
"Yes. That is exactly the right comparison."
"Was she sealed because people were afraid of that power?"
"Er, no."
"Yame sealed herself."
"How did that happen?"
"To explain it simply, Yame picked a fight with a human general who was much stronger than her."
"I see."
"She lost, of course. But as a parting shot, she said, 'I'm immortal, so I'll just wait until you grow old and die! Then I'll come after your children and grandchildren!'"
"That is a terrifying threat."
"Indeed. But the general shot back, 'I'll tell my descendants for generations to come to kill you the moment they see you.'"
"The general was quite a character himself."
"Yame was so terrified by those words that she sealed herself to sleep until the world forgot about her. This was about two thousand years ago."
"I hope they’ve forgotten by now."
"Well, the man she threatened actually remained single his entire life, so he never had any descendants."
............
"Ah, please keep that a secret from Yame. She’d cry if she found out."
"Y-yeah. Let’s keep that a secret."
Still, if she knew all this, why hadn't Bulga woken her up sooner?
"The seal was surprisingly powerful, but more importantly, that was during the period when the demons were in turmoil over whether to serve the Dragon Race. Waking her up then would have only dragged her into the fighting."
"I see."
But if they were on such good terms, why did Yame-san react that way when she saw Bulga?
"Yame is just Yame."
I'd already heard that.
"Whenever she’s in front of me, Stifano, or Lord Gucci, she’s always like this."
"Always?"
"Yes. She either faints or tries to run away. Though she has never once successfully escaped."
"I... I see."
"Let me ask one more time: you guys aren't on bad terms, right?"
"Of course not. We’re the best of friends."
I decided to take her word for it.
However, the moment Yame-san regained consciousness and saw Bulga, she fainted again.
It seemed it would take quite a while for Yame-san to settle in.